Conversations in a Happier Place
by sillysillypanda
Summary: Set somewhere after death, but before afterlife, in a place he more than vaguely remembers. A oneshot almost entirely in dialogue. Mutual forgiveness and friendship, nothing more, nothing less.


**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JKRowling. Not mine.**

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"You know why. For keeping him alive."

"Oh. You're welcome."

_[awkward pause]_

"And I'm sorry."

"I should be the one saying that."

"Yes, you should be. And I expect you will, but I want to go first. I've spent the last seventeen years composing this apology. So here goes: I'm sorry that I didn't fight harder for our friendship. I'm sorry that I let one word, said in a moment of pain and weakness, destroy us. I'm sorry I didn't beat you over the head with a broomstick and drag you away from those awful people you hung out with and back to your senses. I'm sorry I didn't trust you anymore. And more than anything, I'm sorry I couldn't love you back."

"You couldn't help that last one."

"You're right. I couldn't."

"...Did he make you happy?"

"The happiest witch in the world. He still does, every day."

"... happier than I could have?"

"Oh, Sev, don't torture yourself like that. Let's not fight, not now."

"Alright."

_[more awkward silence]_

"I'm sorry too."

"I know you are. You stayed outside the Gryffindor common room all night for a week. I always knew you were sorry. I was just too angry and hurt and scared by the way you were changing and how dangerous the whole world was for people like me. I didn't want to accept your apology."

"I'm sorry for other things too."

"One of those things better be how you treated my boy."

"..."

"Goodness, Sev, he was a child! Is a child!"

"He reminded me too much of Potter."

"Honestly, who are you, _Sirius? _Harry is James's son, but he's his own person! If anything, Harry at eleven reminded me a bit of you at that age."

"_What_? I am nothing like that dog! And how was Potter like me?"

"Merlin, I don't know. A boy, raised in a loveless home, so entranced and excited by the thought of magic, put off by the arrogance displayed by a wizarding boy on the train who gave every sign of being pampered something rotten at home... ring any bells?"

"... perhaps..."

"Good, you admit it. Finally."

"But at school! He was a notable rule breaker, arrogant to the bone, fed off the stories of how amazing he was to have survived, when really, it was only because of you-"

"He was amazing. He is amazing. I am his mother, Severus, and I will not allow you to belittle my child in front of me. I can still cast a pretty wicked hex, and just because we're dead doesn't mean you don't have boogers waiting to fly out of your nose and attack you."

"..."

"He took the best out of both of us, I think. My sense of justice, James's sense of humor, James's daring, my humility... pity he got James's flying talent but not my knack for potions."

"You? Humble? Banish the thought. And the only reason Sluggy thought you were any good at potions was because I tutored you in our free time, and you know it."

"_[laughs] _Hush, you're ruining my good name, Sev."

"... I missed this, Lily."

"Me too. Those were some of my favorite times: wandering the grounds outside of class, just talking-"

"-Or meeting up in the woods over vacation, doing our summer homework together-"

"Remember the time you dared me to sneak into the Slytherin dorms back in first year? I thought for sure someone would catch me!"

"But you still took the dare. Typical Gryffindor."

"Hey now, you better watch yourself, Sev. You did some pretty dumb things back in our Hogwarts years too, even before you turned all Death Eater on me."

"...I said I was sorry about that."

"I know. That's why I can tease you about it now. Because it's over."

"Is it truly over?"

"Yep! That's why, whenever you're ready, we can get off these swings and out of this playground, and head on up to the next life. Whenever you're ready."

"Are they waiting for us there?"

"James is, for sure. He needs to apologize to you. I hope you can forgive him."

"...We'll see."

"I know it's too much to ask for you guys to become best friends over night, but we have all of the rest of eternity for me to train you to at least be civil to each other. I rather relish the challenge."

"Spare me the horror."

"Dumbledore's up there too, but you wouldn't recognize him. He looks young, maybe in his twenties, before any of us were anywhere close to being born. He'll probably want to apologize to you too. Sirius is there, he probably won't apologize, but I suspect you don't want an apology from him anyways, though he does manage to get along with Regulus now. And there's Mad-Eye, and Marlene, and Dorcas, and everyone from the old days... Remus and his Tonks should be there, and Molly's boy is probably on his way up as we speak. I think they let the Prewetts be his guide to the after life."

"Did you volunteer?"

"To be your guide? Naturally. Who else would put up with you?"

_[smiles]_

"I think I'm ready. How do I do this?"

"The same way you cast a patronus. Just close your eyes and think of the brightest, happiest thought you can, and next thing you know, we'll be there."

"... What's your happy thought?"

"The day Harry was born. Oh, don't look at me like that, what did you expect?"

"How did you manage to conjure a patronus before he was born?"

"You don't want to hear it."

"Would I have asked if I didn't want to know?"

"... You'll judge me..."

"That's nothing new."

"... well, before James and I were married, I'd imagine our wedding day. And after we were married, I'd remember our wedding night."

"... you were right. I could have lived all my life without knowing that."

"You did. Live all your life without knowing that. You're dead, Sev."

"I could have lived all my afterlife without knowing that either."

"Well, next time you'll listen when I tell you that you don't want to hear it."

"That I will... _[deep breath]_ Okay, I'm ready."

"Alright then, Sev. Close your eyes, and remember."

_[they smile as they slowly dissolve into happiness and the next world]_

**A/N Sorry if Snape and/or Lily are dreadfully out of character. Reviews are lovely.**


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